#3 - Optometrist Turned Pilot

Summary

Today I am joined by another great friend, Veeraj Mewasingh.

Veeraj currently flies Gulfstream 550 and 650’s for an operation in South Korea.

We have similar backgrounds in coming to our piloting profession as second careers in our mid to late twenties.

Veeraj qualified as an optometrist before overcoming his doubts as to his abilities, and, with the encouragement of his mother, finally followed his dreams of becoming a professional pilot. 

We flew a Gulfstream 550 together a few years back.  On one flight from Tokyo to Jakarta, we unexpectedly encountered severe turbulence and the aircraft was hit by lightning a total of four times. 

It was one of the most emotionally charged times I have had in my life, and I have spent long periods of time thinking about the existential nature of the incident.

The training that we had been through in our professional lives, and our personal interest in emotional and spiritual health supported us in that dramatic incident, and it forms the basis of everything I now approach in life.

In the conversation, we discuss our aviation careers and share stories of our experiences. 

We talk about dealing with undermining people, the importance of self-confidence in aviation, surviving turbulence and lightning strikes, emotional and spiritual resilience, the power of compassion and connection, and supporting and understanding others. 

We emphasise the importance of training, self-reflection, and understanding one's emotions to navigate challenging situations. 

The conversation ends with a discussion about future topics to explore.

Key Takeaways

• Self-confidence is crucial in aviation as it gives pilots and others a greater capacity for situational awareness and decision-making.
• Dealing with underconfident individuals requires compassion and understanding, as they may be struggling with their own insecurities.
• Emotional and spiritual resilience can help pilots and the wider community to navigate challenging situations and maintain a sense of calm and focus.
• Supporting and understanding others in the aviation industry is essential for creating a positive and effective team dynamic.
• Training, self-reflection, and continuous learning are key to developing the skills and mindset needed to thrive in aviation and our lives in general.

 

Chapters

 

00:00 Introduction and Career Background

03:16 Dealing with Undermining and Lack of Confidence

11:39 The Importance of Self-Confidence in Aviation

20:31 Surviving Turbulence and Lightning Strikes

25:15 Emotional and Spiritual Resilience

30:02 The Power of Compassion and Connection

38:47 Supporting and Understanding Others

40:39 Conclusion and Future Discussions